Aging but no less conquering, King Lear resolves to relinquish his crown, the better to enjoy the end of his days and die in peace. But when the time comes to divide his territory between his three daughters, the youngest, Cordelia, refuses to show him the love he demands. And so the name of Lear disintegrates, and the whole royal universe cracks until it collapses. What can the next generation really build if it has grown up in violence and war?